Museum

Friends of Photography

Istanbul Photography Museum was a long-term dream of many photographers that came together to form Friends of Photography Association with the sole purpose of founding this museum. The association consists of 44 active members, all professional photographers, 6 of which form the board of directors with Gültekin Çizgen as president. The association was founded and began its journey to gain Turkey and Istanbul its first photography museum in 2010. The board of directors consists of Gültekin Çizgen, İbrahim Göksungur, Serhat Gökçaylar, Murat Gür, Selim Seval and Ayhan Erolgil who meet on a regular basis for the further improvement of the museum.

Biographies

He was born in Istanbul in 1940 to Abdullah Çizgen, one of the Republic's most important painters, and history teacher Fatma Adile Çizgen. He has travelled the whole of Turkey several times and 83 countries in 5 continents. He was a Graphics Design student at the Fine Arts Academy after leaving St George Austrian High School.

He has been involved with photography as an art and occupation since 1958. His works have been included in museum exhibits and collections. This photographer is one of the most influential and recognized contemporary artists focusing on audiovisual photography, illustration and artistic glass for 51 years of his life now. He has produced printed works on all of his areas of interest and participated in museum collections. He has trained many new artists on artistic photography and occupational practices. He made a profound impression on his period and following generations with his deeds and inclination to "indigenousness."

His photographs have been exhibited in solo exhibitions in 13 countries: Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, China, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Russia and in many more exhibitions in his homeland. Hundreds of multivision programmes that he directed and produced were shown in 24 countries from the United States of America to Kazakhstan.

Çizgen is the author of 71 publications including 18 photography albums, 10 books on art and photography, 6 books on the aesthetics and technique of photography, 2 memoirs, 1 book on travel, 6 "Fotoğraf Geçidi 2010" curator catalogues, 7 issues of Yeni Fotoğraf Magazine and 20 catalogues on the art of glass and fine art techniques.

The founder of Yeni Fotoğraf Magazine, Çizgen is an honorary member of the Photography Institute at Mimar Sinan University. He produced and organized as an Art Director the "Fotoğraf Geçidi 2010" project for the Istanbul, Cultural Capital of Europe 2010 event. He is the chairman of board of directors of Friends of Photography Association. He collaborated with Fatih Municipality on the "Istanbul Photography Museum" initiative. Art according to Çizgen is production and sharing. He continues to be productive in the field of art whether photographic or glass related. Gültekin Çizgen, owner of the "Republican Period – Photography Collection" of 2500 photos, has been exerting his utmost efforts from his building in Kadırga, Istanbul, pursuing new art projects.

He was born in Istanbul in 1953. He graduated from Darüşşafaka High School in 1972, Boğaziçi University Department of Economics in 1976 and received his master's degree in finance at the same university in 1978.

Seval, who has worked in managerial positions in banks and financial institutions in his professional career, started photography in 1960s with a box camera of inherited from his mother. He opened his first exhibitions, in 1971 in the high school he was studying and in 1972 at Çemberlitaş Art Gallery. Then, by participating in various competitions in the last five years, he has represented Turkey and holds a slide show abroad every year. He presented shows 'Thailand' and 'Paris, in 2000 in Paris and in Buenos Aires in 2001, respectively. He founded the slide archive DİATÜRK on the internet in 2001 for the use of professionals.

Following his IFSAK membership, he joined FOTOGEN as a founding member and continues his photographic works within the association. He is the board member of the Friends of Photography Association, the founder of Istanbul Photography Museum.

In 1958, he was born in Izmir. He graduated from Ankara University, Political Sciences. Afterwards, he took the master's degrees first from Middle East Technical University, Economics Department and then from Marmara University, Photography Department. The photography which he started taking interest in high school years, later on became a medium to express himself about the different cultures of the world and different life styles.

In 1995, after his first slide show "Travelling", he held "Om Mani Padme Hum" about the religious life in Tibet and Ladak, and then "Golden Poverty" show about the culture of living in Mynmar, followed by "The Mystical Continent of India" show reflected the cultural mosaic of India. In 2003, his first solo exhibition "Faces of the World" was held in Istanbul and went on tour in Turkey's different regions. In 2005, it was published in an album with some additions to the exhibited photographs.

He held the exhibitions "Women's World" in 2005, "My Recollections from Spain" in 2006, then "The Dark Side of the World" in 2008, and lastly, "Life in Beyoğlu" in 2011. In 2006, he worked as the advisor of the project about "Shopping" which was run by IFSAK. In 2007 and 2010, he consulted his students' projects named "Life in Beyoğlu" and "Disappearing Texture of Istanbul" and curated these project's exhibitions.

Göksungur is currently living in Istanbul, and serving as the president in FOTOGEN Photographic Art Club; working as a freelance fine-arts photographer; tutoring the private photography lessons in his own atelier; organising applied photography workshops; and writing articles, doing interviews for various magazines.

He is a member of Friends of Photography Association established in order to structuring and administration of Istanbul Photography Museum opened on November 2011.

Born in Germany in 1970 and graduated from 9 Eylül University with a degree in Business Administration, Murat Gür was introduced to photography in 1986 with a Zenit 11. He served as a founding member of İİBF Photography Club in 9 Eylül University in 1991. He worked in the Izmir office of Turkish Daily News as a reporter in 1992-1993. In 1993, he wrote for 'Özgür Üniversiteli' newspaper, published by 9 Eylül University students.

Gür, who teaches basic and advanced photography courses, film, and home video at Fototrek Photo Center, Nazım Cultural Center, Fotoğraf Atölyesi, PhotoWorld Photography Center, as well as giving private photo / film lessons to individuals and institutions, also takes part in seminars and panel discussions.

He held many shows and exhibitions, won awards at photo contests, served as a member of the jury in some contests.

He began his career in 1982 as an assistant to Mimar Sinan University academic, Haluk Konyalı. They worked together until 1989. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as an advertisement photographer for various agencies. In 1992, he founded Penguen Reklam with a partner and worked in the company as both a visual director and a photographer. He left Penguen Reklam in 1999 and founded Reklamhane Tanıtım Hizmetleri. He is currently working in the same company as an advertiser and a professional advertisement photographer. He was the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for P.T.F.D (Professional Advertisement Photographers Association). Currently, he is in the Board of Directors for FMK (Photographers Professional Organisation). He is also a member of Salı Grubu.

In 1947, he was born in Istanbul. After his education, he worked as a director and responsible of financial affairs. His interest of photography began in 1960s. After his retirement, he got involved with photography professionally. Until 2002 he dealt with the management of stock photography and slide bank. In 1974 becoming a member of IFSAK, he served in the board of directors from 1975-1979.

He was one of the founders of Group F where he worked as well. In 1985, he was a founding partner of IFE (Istanbul Fotograf Evi). At the end of the same year, he took an active role for establishing FOTOGEN -Photographic Art Club and served in the board of directors. He received the title of an AFIAP (Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art) in that term.

He participated and received awards in many contests and exhibitions at home and abroad. His photographs were published in a lot of publications. He tries to use digital photography means by necessity of advancing technology, combining with his accumulated knowledge. He is a member of Friends of Photography Association established in order to structuring and administration of Istanbul Photography Museum opened on November 2011.